This invention relates to a substantially closed baffle construction, filled article such as a down comforter, sleeping bag, or down jacket. More particularly, it relates to a substantially closed baffle construction article that is machine washable, wherein machine washable means that the article is able to washed with water in a typical mechanical washing machine without significant migration of fill material through the baffle gates. The invention further relates to a self-closing baffle gate. It also relates to a method for manufacturing a closed baffle construction thermal article.
Filled thermal articles typically have one of two constructions. Either the article has a closed construction or it has a random flow construction.
There are two types of closed constructions: baffle or sewn through. In an article with a closed baffle construction, ribbon-like baffles, attached to the upper and lower layers of an article and either the sides of the article or vertical channel baffles, separate the article into discrete portions so that the fill material is confined to the particular portion. Typically, the baffle will have an open gate area to allow the fill material to be fed into the article. Because the gate remains open after the article is filled, some fill material can migrate from one portion through the gate into another portion of the article. This undesirable migration is accelerated if an article is washed in a washing machine. Therefore, closed baffle construction articles must typically be dry cleaned to reduce the fill material migration.
A less expensive method of making an article with a closed construction is to sew through the upper and lower layers of the article after it has been filled. This has the advantage of providing a closed construction without the expense of adding a baffle. Such a sewn-though article can be machined washed. However, it has the disadvantage that the area of the upper and lower layer that has been sewn together results in a "cold spot" in the article. There is little or no thermal insulation at the sewn area. This results in an article that is not as thermally insulative as a closed baffle construction article. In addition, the sewn area results in a less aesthetically pleasing product. It does not have the loft and full appearance associated with traditional comforters with a baffle construction.
In a random flow article, the fill material is allowed to migrate throughout the article. While some random flow configurations can impede migration, there is nothing to prevent migration of the filler from one area to another area of the article.
Closed baffle construction is preferred for articles where migration of the fill material must be limited; however, it has the disadvantage that it cannot be machine-washed. Therefore, for many articles, particularly down comforters, where consumers prefer a machine washable product, a random flow article and a sewn through article are the only currently available alternatives.
The present invention provides a closed baffle construction article that can be machine-washed. It provides a gate within the baffle that allows the article to be filled, while at the same time preventing migration of the fill material during use and, particularly during machine washing.